The University Court is a corporate body with key responsibilities in relation to the University's overall strategic direction and for ensuring that the university's business is conducted in accordance with the approved mission statement and objectives.
To assist in meeting its health and safety responsibilities, the governance of Health and Safety at GCU is overseen by the People Committee, which is a Standing Committee of the University Court. Its membership comprises of lay governors, staff and student governors, the Director of People, the Chief Financial Officer and VP Infrastructure and the Director of Estates and Buildings. It is chaired by a lay governor. The Committee submits an annual report to Court and makes recommendations on matters relating to the Safety, Health and Wellbeing Policy and its implementation.
Please visit the Standing Committees of Court webpage to view the People Committee Terms of Reference
The University has a Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee, chaired by the Chief Operating Officer or nominated deputy and with representation from Trade Unions and Management representatives.
The main remit of the committee is to provide advice and make recommendations to the Executive Board, provide a mechanism for consultation and approve the Annual Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report that will be submitted to the Executive Board and People Committee each year. Terms of Reference can be found in Appendix 2 of the Roles, Responsibilities and Arrangements document.
Schools and Professional Support Departments should establish a local health and safety committee to oversee health and safety arrangements and issues relevant to their area. The Committee should aim to meet between two to four times per annum (depending on the level of risk and complexity involved in the School/Department) and minutes should be provided to the Senior Management Group. Health and safety should also be a standing agenda item on the Senior Management Group.
Significant health and safety issues which cannot be resolved by a local health and safety committee must be referred to the Executive Board member with responsibility for the relevant area.
The health and safety committee should have adequate representation of all the relevant departments/activity areas within the School/Department, including management and trade union health and safety representatives (where appointed). Representation from the student body should be on the School health and safety committee or the School Board. Where the latter applies, the School should ensure there is a clear link between the Board and the health and safety committee on any student issues raised.
Additional members can be invited to attend on an ongoing basis, for example, the University Health and Safety Advisor and Facilities Management Department or invited as a one off where specialist advice is required, for example, Occupational Health, Biological Safety Advisor etc.
Please see the Example Terms of Reference for a School/Departmental health and safety committee which can be modified to make it more area specific.
For smaller departments where the risk is relatively low, a health and safety committee may not be practical and may be more appropriate that health and safety is included as a standing agenda item on the senior management group meetings.
